5xs Athos Ignored A Stray Cat and 1x He didn't
by SG-LAB
Summary: What it says in the title. Post series.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first five plus one fic

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1.

It was a warm spring day as Athos stood outside the modest little house he shared with Sylvie and their two children: three year old Raoul and four month old daughter Renee.

He had his three year old son standing in front of him holding the boy's hands in his keeping him steady as they walked the uneven ground.

"Papa, cat," Raoul pulled one of his hands from his father's grasp to point his finger directly ahead of them.

Athos looked up squinting against the sun's rays. It was indeed a small orange tabby. It stood several feet from them watching them as they watched it.

Athos realized before it was nearly too late his son slipped out of his other hand and started to rush forward. He picked up his pace and caught hold of Raoul swinging him up and into his arms. "Where do you think you were going, Raoul?" He asked gently.

"I wanna cat," the boy said simply.

Athos sighed inwardly. "Not today, son," he turned them both around and headed for the house.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Athos was leaning against the open front door of his house watching Sylvie kneeled down tending her garden. The children were inside taking their naps and with the door opened Athos would be able to hear if either one of them needed anything.

For now he quietly enjoyed watching the woman he loved doing her work.

He heard Sylvie giggling from her spot on the ground suddenly. Curious, he stood up straight and wandered over to her.

Upon close examination of Sylvie's opposite side where he previously did not have a clear view, an orange tabby was chasing a butterfly.

"We are not keeping that," Athos said firmly.

Sylvie brushed her hands together removing most of the dirt before standing up. "I doubt she'd care to stick around to be anyone's pet," she leaned up giving him a kiss. "

Athos wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close to him and pressing another kiss to her lips. "Raoul may ask you for a cat though."

Sylvie sighed leaning into Athos.

Athos sighed right along with her. Raoul could be persistent when he wanted something. Athos looked over Sylvie's shoulder looking for the cat, but not seeing it.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Athos sat at his desk in his den looking through some papers. From the corner of his eye, Athos noticed movement.

Slowly Athos turned his head towards the movement and immediately sighed.

How did that cat get inside his house, he wondered? He watched as the cat proceeded to walk towards him over the furniture in the room. Before he knew what was happening the cat laid down on his papers lying out on his desk.

Reaching out, Athos grasped the papers from under the cat and yanked as hard as he could without ripping them.

The cat didn't budge. In fact, it was curled up purring.

Letting out a single huff, Athos turned and left his den to search somewhere else to work.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

His nose was stuffed. He felt like his head might explode.

Athos had caught a cold a couple of days ago. He finally gave into his body's needs this morning and stayed in bed.

It had been a while since Sylvie had come in to check on him. He could hear her moving around on the other side of the door occasionally keeping the children occupied every once in a while.

He dozed off and on throughout the morning. This was the third time he had woken, but it wasn't the sounds of his family that woke him this time.

His pillow was pressed down above his head and loud vibrations went straight through his skull making his head hurt worse than it had been earlier.

He reached up with one hand above his head and was met with soft fur. Startled, Athos pulled his hand back when the object he touched was vibrating.

Athos turned and looked up at the head of the bed. Somehow that cat found its way in his bedroom and was purring loud enough to wake the dead. Rolling over Athos grabbed Sylvie's pillow and covered his head with it. He hoped the cat would take the hint and go away.

"Athos?"

Athos pulled the pillow off head when he heard Sylvie walking in. "Please remove that creature."

Sylvie chuckled coming up to their bed. "I could hear her purring across the hall in the children's room."

Athos felt Sylvie press a kiss to his temple before he heard her footsteps heading for the door and the purring beginning to recede.

Note: This chapter was inspired by my first cat who had the loudest purr of all of my cats and the one time she was laying on my pillow above my head while I had a head cold just like Athos. Her purr was so loud it made my headache worse.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Athos sat down next to Sylvie where she sat outside their house on a bench holding their five month old daughter Renee in her arms. He could hear the squeals of laughter several feet from them where there son and their friends' children were playing.

"Did you ever think your life would become so domesticated?" Sylvie asked leaning into Athos' side.

Athos smiled, watching Porthos and d'Artagnan playing with the children; Aramis trying to keep up. The first minister had suffered through a fever a few months earlier leaving lingering effects.

Before Athos had a chance to respond to Sylvie's question, Elodie hobbled heavy with child and sat down on Sylvie's other side. She had been resting inside out of the heat.

"Mama, look, there's a kitty," Sophie, d'Artagnan and Constance's seven year old adopted daughter yelled across the yard.

Athos looked up groaning inwardly. He had no interest in any cat. He watched as the children walked over to Sophie with Constance.

"You can have it if you want," Athos said to d'Artagnan.

d'Artagnan shrugged. "We could use it to get rid of the mice at the garrison."

Constance walked over to them with the children and the rest of their group. She was carrying the cat in her arms.

Sylvie turned towards Athos putting Renee into his arms before turning back to coo over the cat with the rest of them.

Athos sighed bringing his daughter up against his chest kissing the top of her head and whispering into her ear. "You'll still side with me won't you, ma petite?"


	6. Chapter 6

Warning this chapter contains brief scene of a couple of kittens found that died at birth.

6\. Or +1

Athos sat down on the sofa holding a book in one hand ready to do some reading. It was late afternoon and Sylvie was gone with the children to visit some friends.

He had the window open since it had been such a nice late summer day.

He had just settled in when he started hearing something familiar. Athos frowned knowing that sound. He thought that had been taken care of almost a month ago when d'Artagnan took the cat off their hands.

For the next several minutes Athos tried his best to ignore the meowing coming from outside the open window. But it was of no use, he realized he wasn't hearing just one cat. It seemed to be a chorus of multiple mewling sounds. If he had to guess they were kittens.

Sighing, Athos gave up on his book and walked outside to where the noise was coming from. Finally finding the source of his irritation, Athos kneeled down and looked at the pile of mother cat and her four kittens.

Upon further inspection Athos realized two of the kittens hadn't survived. He realized he had to do something; he didn't want Sylvie returning home with the children to this sight. Although Renee was too young death was not a subject they had had to talk to Raoul about yet.

It was a difficult process as the mother cat was not happy allowing him to remove any of her babies. But he took care of them as quickly and efficiently as he could.

Once he completed his task he thought about how late in the season it was and that it was likely going to be chilly overnight. And then he asked himself what Sylvie would do.

Athos shook his head ruefully.

TM

Athos woke up hearing noises across the hall from his and Sylvie's bedroom where he lay. He moved to sit up.

"Better not move," Sylvie peered inside their room looking amused.

Athos's brow furled in confusion before a slight weight on his chest and stomach registered.

Sylvie came over with her lantern and he wondered how late it was, but he would ask her later. At the moment he was wondering what was on his chest. So he looked down where Sylvie had shown the light.

The two kittens, one grey and one orange like its mother, were sleeping on his chest with their mother snuggled up to his side.

"I made them a bed over there," he pointed towards the floor where a short wooden box sat with a couple of blankets. It sat a few feet from the fireplace not too close so as not to be too warm.

Sylvie set the lantern down on the table on Athos' side of the bed and joined him on her side.

"I knew you'd finally give in," she teased.

"You would have insisted anyway," he simply said.

"So, why is it you don't like cats?" Sylvie lay back letting her fingers glide down the mother cat's back.

Athos sighed trying to get comfortable without disturbing the felines. "My brother Thomas had a cat when we were children; he hated me."

"Your brother or the cat?" She asked.

He huffed a laugh. "The cat, but you could probably say the same about Thomas."

Athos brushed a hand through Sylvie's hair at her sad frown. "It's all right; I've learned to accept that my brother and I would never be close. I've found a family with you, the children and my brothers here."

The mother cat stood up then and picked up one of her kittens by its scruff carrying it back to the box Athos had put together and then came back for the second one.

"I have a feeling they're staying," Sylvie said.

"Raoul will like that," Athos said.

"You're okay with that?" She asked.

"I have finally surrendered," he said pulling her close to him and kissing her.

"Good," she snuggled up to his side as they drifted off to sleep.

The End


End file.
